ARREST the parents of 15-year-old Jesus Mendez, who has been charged with attempted second-degree murder for the act of dousing, along with four other teenage thugs, Michael Brewer of Deerfield Beach, Fla. with alcohol and setting him on fire, leaving him with burns covering 90 percent of his body.
First charge against the parents: blatant dereliction of duty. Clear evidence is their neglect in slapping young Mendez with an order of parental house arrest after he was taken into custody on Sunday, just the day before the violent attack, but was released into his parent's custody after allegedly stealing the victim's father's bike as payment young Brewer owed him for a video game.
The term "grounded" quickly comes to mind when thinking of any kid abusing the privilege of hanging out with friends and operating under the trust parents or guardians place in them by allowing them out on their own without adult supervision.
All teenagers should earn this right by demonstrating, in a variety of ways, the home training they've had drilled into them over the years prior to hanging with buddies.
Police officers called these parents into the station to pick up their kid, who was suspected of stealing, and the next day this same kid is out on the street committing a more serious crime. Who is the criminal in this case?
The reason, as my mother used to preach, that children aren't hatched like chickens from an egg shell is because children can't figure out life their parents are expected to draw up the blueprint for them.
Now, if parents have to make their way to the police station, listen to the officers report the evidence and talk about charges and court appearances, watch the kid sit there looking stupid and then get back home, there shouldn't be any hanging with anybody except a broom, mop, pail, cleaning rags, vacuum, shovel, hose and any other tools necessary for odd jobs neighbors and friends might also need during a parental-imposed house arrest.
But no such luck in the Mendez story, as this young teenager was out the next day, allegedly up to more serious criminal activity.
Second charge against these parents should be attempted second-degree murder, the same as the charge against their son.
In some states, the concept of parental responsibility puts us in the hot seat if our kid gets classified as a truant. In some states, this kind of responsibility also makes us adjust our budgets to accommodate the cost of our kids wreaking havoc on public or even someone's personal property.
Let's bring the law down on all parents in our society who seem to believe it is OK to raise chickens popping out of eggshells rather than raising children who will be productive members of society.
